Kevin Smith says Ben Affleck loves Batman, built a Batcave in his house (audio)

On the latest episode of Kevin Smith's Hollywood Babble-On podcast, the director/actor/comic book nerd commented on his friend Ben Affleck being cast as Batman. "This dude has loved Batman going as far back as I can remember. He only did Daredevil because he loved Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns," Smith explained. Frank Miller also wrote some Daredevil comics, and Affleck thought that taking that role would be the closest he'd ever get to playing Batman. Look at him now!

Another cool story that Kevin Smith told was the time he went to look at Ben Affleck's house. Affleck was selling it, and Smith went over for a tour to check it out. During that tour is when Smith got to see first hand how big of a Batman fan Affleck was -- he had a Batcave in his house!

He brings me into the room and goes "Look at this". There's an office room and this beautiful bookcase... he reached under and he clicked something and all of a sudden the bookcase [opened]. I was like, "No! You built a f**king Batcave?" And he was like "I built a Batcave entrance!" When you went in behind the bookcase it was a panic room. Very small with a little TV, phone, a safe and video games.

If you're not 100% on board with Ben Affleck as Batman, you've got to at least respect that he has loved the character for so long! Take a listen to Kevin Smith's comments below, the Ben Affleck talk starts around the 11 minute mark. Warning: it's Kevin Smith, so there's some adult language.

https://soundcloud.com/smodco/babbleon-137

SOURCE: Hollywood Babble-On #137

155 comments

August 27, 2013

awesome

Bruce Wayne

August 27, 2013

Great !

mikec

August 27, 2013

Enough with the misleading article titles.

BatmanNewsChris
August 27, 2013
What's misleading? Kevin Smith said both of those things, and he elaborates in the audio clip that I've included in the post.
1. Makavellie
  August 27, 2013
  chris, you have lost it , the heart of this site is no longer making sound. If you are a real comic batman fan, you should know that ben doesn't have "IT" to play either bruce or batman. something is missing, a real fan felt it the same minute the got the information that BEN would be batman in the new movie.
  1. Unique Jenique
    August 27, 2013
    Makavellie, it was my understanding that part of running a website is to remain unbiased and to report all news as it comes in...And how would Chris know anything about whether or not Ben has "IT"? What happens if Chris slams Ben, but then Ben ends up doing great as Batman and then people come at Chris' throat and hate on him for dissing Ben two years prior?
    1. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      LOL. Exactly. "Be un-biased and talk about how much Ben Affleck is going to suck!"
      The logic is strong with this one.
    2. natman2939
      August 27, 2013
      Where did he say "be un-biased" ? How smart you are for mocking someone for saying something they didn't say...
    3. Makavellie
      August 27, 2013
      natman, we have a saying, "you cant teach a old dog to sit" stop trying to explain they wont get it anyway.
    4. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      WTF? That's all he's been saying in this entire thread. Attacking Chris for being biased and supporting Affleck. He told him to be open minded and admit that Affleck sucks.
    5. BatmanNewsChris
      August 27, 2013
      I just banned him.
    6. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      Oh, man. You can do that? I better go back and do some editing!
    7. BatmanNewsChris
      August 27, 2013
      Haha, I'd never ban you!
    8. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      Shew. Could you do me a favor and start writing his name as B** A***** in future stories? I'm gonna have a heart attack if this keeps up. haha
    9. Unique Jenique
      August 27, 2013
      Oh shit. Everyone be nice to Chris, please.
    10. BatmanNewsChris
      August 27, 2013
      You're safe too! In fact, he's the first person I've ever banned in the 3 years since I've started this website. Batman News readers, for the most part, are really cool!
    11. Rey Velazquez
      August 29, 2013
      Hahaha awesome! Hey, I don't know why, I actually feel Ben's gonna crush this and people will look like idiots a la Ledger! Look the amount of hate is so disproportionated to the story, it's ridiculous honestly. I think it'll be an awesome movie, probably much better than Fase 2.
    12. natman2939
      August 27, 2013
      Maybe I misunderstood the wording and I'll be careful how I say this ;) so let me put it this way: IF the only things Mr Chris says about Ben are positive then he's being bias and if he literally goes out of his way to look on the bright side (of the ben situation) then he's being bias. So I can't speak for the other guy but for my two cents: I'm not saying "be un-biased and say ben sucks" I'm saying "don't JUST defend ben and stay on that one side of the argument." Instead look at it from both sides. If you're going to write some "here's why Ben may be a good batman" articles maybe write a couple of "here's why Ben may be a bad batman" articles? Sound fair?
      But if I remember correctly from the poll thread the other day, I believe Chris said he's only seen two of Ben's movies anyway, which is probably a huge reason he doesn't understand the outrage.
      Anyway that's my two cents. Sorry for being off-topic.
      PS: I knew Kevin would weigh in on this eventually. I figured he'd defend his friend but I wonder what he honestly thinks of Ben as Batman as an actor (if he did think negatively HE DEFINITELY would not say because they've been friends for years)
    13. natman2939
      August 27, 2013
      the name of the website may have the word NEWS in it, but the very nature of it makes it more of a fan site (at least in most people's eyes) I mean it's not like the guy is an actual journalist and obligated to be unbiased. He's a Batman fan first (or at least I thought he was)
    14. Makavellie
      August 27, 2013
      he is, those idiots UNique & Lethargicj think that this is new york time reporters. real journalism, this is a fanpage made by a batman comic fan. i rest my case.
      and stop sucking up for Chris, hate that bullshit . and chris, in my country we have something that is called "freedom of speech" i can comment on anything i want even if its of topic. stop being the dictator of internet. and let me do what the f*ck i want to do.
    15. Unique Jenique
      August 27, 2013
      I'm an idiot? You're the one ranting and raving over NOTHING.
    16. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      You rest your case? Please. For the love of God, please rest it.
    17. Makavellie
      August 27, 2013
      let me ask you one question, bale did batman, do you think that its ok that he a few years later can play ... hm. lets say superman?
    18. Unique Jenique
      August 27, 2013
      If this is an argument indicating that an actor can't play two superheros in their career, you have another thing coming. It is invalid because Chris Evans makes it invalid who played The Humantorch in F4 and then Captain America. I can name half a dozen others. And for the record, you're all over the place tonight, Maka.
    19. Makavellie
      August 27, 2013
      I know that, and Im against it? you don't have to inform me that, "I KNOW".
      but you didn't answer my question so i'll try again " would it be ok that bale played superman a few years later"? yes or no
    20. Justin Lynch
      October 4, 2013
      Ryan Reynold's Deadpool and Green Lantern, bad writing and direction on both ends, which was the case for Dare Devil.
    21. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      What's that got to do with anything?
    22. Francisco
      August 28, 2013
      This old canard. You can have as much freedom of speech as you want but as this site is PRIVATELY owned, the moderators can allow or ban commentary AS THEY SEE FIT. If you've got a problem with that open your own blog and site and fire away. I find it hilarious how people try to play the victim card on a web site with "Freedom of Speech".
    23. Justin Lynch
      October 4, 2013
      Hey, Makavellie. Here's a history lesson since you like to throw "freedom of speech" around. The government can not censor your dumb comments. This page is not government run, it is privately run by Chris on his own time and money. He can say what gets posted here and who he posts here all he wants. He can ban whoever he wants and doesn't have to keep abusive spammers on his page if he doesn't want them there, so stop trolling and find somewhere else to dampen everyone's day.
  2. BatmanNewsChris
    August 27, 2013
    If you're going to comment here, make sure your feedback is on topic. This post has nothing to do with my opinion of Ben Affleck. There's only 1 article like that on this site and it's here: http://batman-news.com/2013...
    This post is about Kevin Smith talking about how much of a Batman fan his good friend Ben Affleck is.
    1. Unique Jenique
      August 27, 2013
      Chris - 3878929
      Makaveillie - Zilch
  3. Sundeep
    August 27, 2013
    So being a "real comic batman fan" entitles one to bash on an actor just because the said actor apparently does not fit the bill of batman painted by fans? Also, (good) journalism is all about being unbiased towards any casting/story choices made by the company making the movie so that they can objectively decide whether or not the actor and movie are good AFTER the initial trailers and - more importantly - the movie is released.
  4. natman2939
    August 27, 2013
    My feelings exactly Mak. I don't understand how such a vast majority of batman fans (both casual and hardcore) have reacted so negatively and yet a guy who runs a batman site is just fine with it.
    1. BatmanNewsChris
      August 27, 2013
      I don't watch a lot of movies. The only two Ben Affleck movies I've seen are The Town and Argo. I saw them both for the first time earlier this year. Most fans and critics agree those movies were some of Ben's finest. So, that's all I have to judge him on. I think it's unfair for fans to say he's going to be terrible just because Daredevil was bad. That was 10+ years ago. I'm 25 and I've been working full time for about 5 years. I'm much better at my job today than I was 5 years ago when I started. Ben Affleck has come a long way since Daredevil and my opinion is that he'll do a great job as Batman. The truth is... no one will really know for sure until July 17th, 2015.
    2. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      You're really being ridiculous trying to claim the majority of fans have reacted negatively. This site itself just conducted a poll and Affleck won the poll by an overwhelming margin. Every single movie site I visit from this one, to BoF, to AICN, to Latino Review, etc, etc, etc has supported the casting.
      Just because your side is loud and annoying doesn't make it bigger.
    3. Alex Getts
      August 28, 2013
      You know, it's not often I agree with Jett, but credit where credit is due, some of the reaction to Affleck's casting has been shameful. The amount of stupid that's been displayed on the Internet the last week has been astounding. Apparently "wait and see" -- a logical suggestion, by all accounts -- is now synonymous with "AFFLEKX WILL BE TEH BEST BATMANZ EVAH!!!!!!" Affleck wouldn't have been my first choice (or necessarily anywhere on my list of potential Bat-actors), but I'm willing to give him a chance.
      In another thread, someone said people used to wait for movies to judge them. Then they started judging films based on the trailers. That got downgraded to posters. Now we're judging success or failure based on the casting of one person. It's getting ridiculous. It's not like they cast an Olsen twin in the role. Relax, folks.
      And honestly, freedom of speech is such a fun defense. It's true, but it doesn't exempt you from criticism, which is -- wait for it -- freedom of speech.
  5. William L
    August 28, 2013
    Dude, stop this "real comic batman fan", "real fan", "real Batman" bullshit. It's all opinions, if you disagree - fine! But it doesn't make you a "real deal", you're just a vocal minority.
    Get over yourself and wake the fuck up - the name of this site is Batman NEWS, capiche? Chris just reports shit, he has nothing to do with WB decisions. Your nerd rage is blinding you. LOL
    If you don't like this site anymore, just go away, sign your petition and take your arrogance with you. Telling people what's "real"... pfff, sick of it.
  6. Jlb
    August 28, 2013
    It's not Chris that's lost it, its you. This is about Batman the character not Ben Affleck who is just 1 of many who have worn the cap or cowl. You don't get it do you???? Not everyone feels the same way you do about this news, get over yourself already don't go back to "daredevil was terrible" that is now just a b.s. excuse to bash the man & the movie is old as hell 10 yrs exactly. He knows exactly what he has to do in this role & knock it out of the park & when he does he'll shut everyone the hell up. Don't disrespect this website, step off and get over it, Ben ain't going anywhere. Your part of that group that was sending death threats to Ben too probably, your pretty tasteless to call out Chris on his own website.
  7. ZEE
    September 25, 2013
    He Has to be better then Bale of course everyone better then Bale
2. Antrozous
  August 27, 2013
  Sorry Chris, it ends up being a misleading title. Ben Affleck did not built a Batcave inside his house, he said it himself.
3. William L
  August 28, 2013
  Too late for me to enter in this discussion? LOL
  1. BatmanNewsChris
    August 28, 2013
    Of course not!
4. Brandon Krum
  August 28, 2013
  I love this site, but technically its true, the title is misleading. Ben Affleck never built a full on Batcave, nor did he even build a Man-cave. Kevin Smith technically says he built a Batcave “Entrance”. And that entrance only leads to a panic room. But I’m not trying to stir the hornets nest here. I just watched The Town, and even though I was hesitant before about Ben being cast, after watching that film, I can now see him playing an adequate Batman. I just hope he gets the Bat-voice right ;)
  1. BatmanNewsChris
    August 29, 2013
    Yeah, my bad. I wasn't purposely trying to mislead anyone.
    1. Brandon Krum
      August 29, 2013
      I don't think you were trying to mislead anyone Chris. I suppose saying "misleading" is to harsh. I run an Arnold Schwarzenegger Fan site myself, and sometimes you have to drop out a word or two to actually make the title of an article work and or fit. Keep up the Fantastic work! I literally check your site daily!

Javon Cooper

August 27, 2013

Yeah, OK.

Sev

August 27, 2013

He's not going to be better than Bale, but I think he can pull it off.

GeooUniverse_2010

August 27, 2013

If he played Daredevil as if he wore playing Batman. We should all be worried.

Unique Jenique

August 27, 2013

I think that this personally helped me realize that Ben will be committed to this role. He understands the pressure and the ridicule, and I think that because of that AND because he holds high regards for Batman, he'll put his all into this. Whether or not it'll be enough is yet to be discovered.

Makavellie

August 27, 2013

why the fuck are "batman- news.com" trying to convince us that ben affleck would be a great batman, stop trying to sell us that idea, we have known ben for 10-15 years we know what he have and he dont have that "evil-dark aura" . if WB is paying you 10 dollars to convince you readers only god know. but come ON! its AFFLECK for christ sake, .......

dont be partial, be a opened mind and let your readers on your site, stick to the fact that ben f**king affleck s**cks Big Ones.

Mr. Nice Guy
August 27, 2013
You suck! Fact is... Ben is going to knock this role out of the park!
1. Makavellie
  August 27, 2013
  and for the million dollar question, how do you know? at least I'm going on old reference here, "daredevil" "gigli" should i continue ? seriously , you have nothing that could convince me or anybody els that he actually will nail this part. i have many reasons "old movies with ben affleck" that shows that he will fail. but keep playing god, you know everything nephew, right?
  1. lethargicj
    August 27, 2013
    Yes, you should continue. The guy has been in nearly 40 movies yet you only have two references to sum up his entire career. This is a guy who has been good in movies and bad in movies. But every single time his best performances come when he's playing morally grey characters in morally grey worlds. In other words, Batman like characters. Sure, if you want to just go oh, the guy from Gigli sucks, nobody is going to argue that. But he's actually been in more than Gigli and Daredevil.
    1. Makavellie
      August 27, 2013
      the truth is that a good actor can convoke the audience that he really is that character, thats the trick for being a respected actor, heath ledger didn't play the joker , he became the joker. daniel day lewis, didn't play lincoln he actually became him, do you see where I'm going with this. ben have done some good work of course, but all his movies he is BEN playing a character , he never convince the audience, and hollywood and the world know this, thats why they recommend him to direct. i don't know how he got this part. i think "money talks" . I'm a wrong?
    2. Makavellie
      August 27, 2013
      Convince*
    3. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      God, I am so unbelievably sick of this argument.
      I love Bale. I love Ledger. There's not one friggin second where I didn't realize that it was Bale and Ledger. I didn't go home and say "oh, man, you guys...wait till you see how good Batman plays Batman in that Batman movie!!!"
    4. Makavellie
      August 27, 2013
      are you stupid or retarded ?. this conversation with you died after what you just wrote.... go and lay down on your bed and think of what you just wrote
      I didn't go home and say "oh, man, you guys...wait till you see how good Batman plays Batman in that Batman movie!!!"
      "
      .... really ?...
      the end.
    5. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      Thank God.
  2. eric
    August 27, 2013
    Are you better at what you did 10 years ago?
    1. Mr. Nice Guy
      August 27, 2013
      That is if he did anything. (Better or equal to Ben Affleck to be fair)
  3. Jlb
    August 28, 2013
    how can u judge someone on old work??? Your probably still the same way you are now on your job that you are on 10 yrs ago right? Your still the same person 10 yrs ago right? stupid excuses, your on that hate bandwagon with the other followers, so sad & pathetic.
Eric
August 27, 2013
Shut up. I don't remember him being an ignorant fool to you.
1. Makavellie
  August 27, 2013
  Eric, bring the hate , thats my fuel in life, haters i love you !
Makavellie
August 27, 2013
RickyLp, first of all i don't sound shit because I'm writing, and second, I'm reading because this site used to give us nun-partial information . but now i think it's to much of "he will fit" propaganda, and for you my "hater of the year". why cant i have my opinion after my statement, do i really have to be nonsuccess full in life to? i mean come on, if you want to know Im a doctor from Sweden and going bananas over the fact that WB is breaking a golden rule that says "do not cast a actor that already have played another superhero". and when i wrote that thing about WB paying 10 dollar to Chris, come on, if you really think i was serious then i must ask you what part in life your in? depression years ? take a pill robocop. #whysoserious.?
Unique Jenique
August 27, 2013
Well, aren't you a big ball of sunshine.
Unique Jenique
August 27, 2013
Ummm...If I remember correctly, Chris mentioned how he was trying to remain open-minded and non-judgmental about the whole thing...so, I don't get your point. This website isn't trying to convince anyone of anything. If anything, he's trying to deflate the negative atmosphere that has been swarming the internet the past few days. Sheesh, are you also this outspoken about the s*** going on over in Syria???
1. Makavellie
  August 27, 2013
  please, I'm a fanboy from sweden who encouraging opened minds and thats it. if you se the latest articles on this site you can feel the touch of "supporting affleck" and thats bullshit. and the shit going on in syria shouldn't be mentioned on batman-news.com , come on this is a fanpage take that political bullshit somewhere els. not that i dont feel for the people there, ofc i do but just leave it to that for now.
  1. Unique Jenique
    August 27, 2013
    Why not support Ben? Why not give him the benefit of the doubt? Hating on him isn't going to accomplish anything, no matter how many petitions you send to Warner Bros.. -___- Chris runs a BATMAN site, thus he posts news about BATMAN. He sure as hell isn't going to post article after article mentioning how much Affleck sucks. He'd be shooting himself in the foot if he did that and clearly revealing an ulterior motive. I'm sure Chris was as shocked as the rest of us over Ben, but unlike half the people posting here, he is mature and has CLASS.
    1. Makavellie
      August 27, 2013
      this has nothing to to with mature, this is not hate this is straight facts. he is not a good actor. the truth is that a good actor can convince the audience that he really is that character, thats the trick for being a respected actor, heath ledger didn't play the joker , he became the joker. daniel day lewis, didn't play lincoln he actually became him, do you see where I'm going with this. ben have done some good work of course, but all his movies he is BEN playing a character , he never convince the audience, and hollywood and the world know this, thats why they recommend him to direct. and batman is holy for a lot of people. i don't hate him as a person, i just don't think he fits the part. to be a fan doesn't make you good to play the character. there most be something in it when over 300.000 people over the world in few days has complained and signed the petitions.
    2. Unique Jenique
      August 27, 2013
      And yet every last one of those 300,000 people will have their asses in the theater on opening night and will gladly hand their money to Warner Bros.
    3. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      I'm sure you could find 300,000 people to sign a petition saying Adele can't sing.
      300,000 out of the entire world is pretty meaningless. If you 300,000 want to sit at home in 2015 while the rest of go see the movie, have at it. It'll still make a billion dollars.
    4. Francisco
      August 28, 2013
      A person who tries to pass off an opinion as fact does not know what a fact is. When it comes to acting, the evaluation of such a thing is completely subjective, it doesn't matter if 99 out of 100 people say someone is a good or bad actor, you can only speak of the opinion by individuals or a certain majority. It's fine to say: "In my opinion so and so is bad actor because A/B/C/D/Etc. But to try to establish an opinion as fact undermines that person's credibility. Of course you can say: "The fact is, 99 out of 100 people think this actor sucks/is awesome." With proper references of course.
lethargicj
August 27, 2013
Be open minded and stick to the "fact" that Ben Affleck sucks?
That's a joke right?
Eric
August 27, 2013
Guys calm down. He's obviously a Hollywood talent scout. I had no idea we were being blessed with your presence. See how I spelled all of my words correctly?
1. Makavellie
  August 27, 2013
  haha, at least a can manage , can you speak swedish? didn't think so, then why don't you shut the f*ck up.
  1. lethargicj
    August 27, 2013
    I can speak Swedish.
    Gersh gurndy morn-dee burn-dee, burn-dee, flip-flip-flip-flip-flip-flip-flip-flip-flip.
meamwayne
August 28, 2013
I’m not crazy about the choice. I think they should have picked someone a little younger and not so familiar, but I’m willing to keep an open mind. He doesn’t have a history of playing dark edgy characters, but he directed two really solid crime stories, and he was decent in Argo. He has developed as an actor over the years.
William L
August 28, 2013
Dude, hatred causes cancer. And I don't know if i feel sorry for you... LOL jk, jk
Chris is the most impartial person in here, he could be like Jett - cheering for Affleck like a lil girl, but no - definitely not seeing that. You're high.
The thing is: sign your petition already and go cry your nerd rage upon your pillow. WB don't give a flying fuck about it, they'll make tons of money when the film hits theaters anyway, and you'd buy your tickets even if the goddamn Adam Sandler was cast as Batman, you know that! LOL
Look, jokes aside - he isn't my choice for the role too, but hell - it's just a fucking movie. Move on, get a life.

Jaguar

August 27, 2013

respect.

M.A.N.O.F.M.E.T.A.L.

August 27, 2013

Fuck this Dark Knight Rises hating fat fuck.

Batman
August 27, 2013
He doesn't hate it, he just doesn't see the greatness of it. Neither do I, Blake ruined it for me. So did Batman's lack of skills. What are you gonna do? Cus me out for it?
lethargicj
August 27, 2013
Huh? Kevin Smith liked TDKR. It's the other guy on the show that hated it.
M.A.N.O.F.M.E.T.A.L.
August 28, 2013
*You* must have social issues, Just look at your comment. It's wrong on every level.
1. M.A.N.O.F.M.E.T.A.L.
  August 28, 2013
  First of all, he doesn't "slightly" criticize 'Rises' he does it all the time when the film comes up. Second of all, if someone thinks and can judge I have "social" issues because I posted a comment on a website then that person is delusional and incompetent. You have no idea who I am, what I do, where I live, what my past it. Simply put, you are in no position to judge me and say I have "social issues" because you read ONE comment. And so I just copied what you said to show you how damn stupid and judgmental and delusional you are. Maybe you should have yourself checked out.
  1. Stijn
    August 28, 2013
    I could say exactly the same thing to you, you got nothing.

Rambowl

August 27, 2013

Just because he loves Batman and has a panic room, doesn't make him Batman.

WhiteBoner
August 27, 2013
Your neighbors should be aware that they're living next to a seriously delusional human being.

WhiteBoner

August 27, 2013

lol at celebs trying to get "geek cred". It's more pathetic than the white dudes who claim they cry when listening to Barack Obama to suck up to blacks.

Christian Bale probably didn't know Bruce Wayne from Bruce Banner in 2004, but he wasn't prancing around saying, "Hey, I'm just SUCH a big comic book fan!!!" the way Andrew Garfield and some of these other phonies do. If you have to be a "fan" of a character, then Bale could have never played a murderer in 'American Psycho'.

Makavellie
August 27, 2013
im trying to tell all batman-news.com readers to not suck up to this mind game that WB trying to play, telling celebs to support Ben so the real fans can start think "hey, maybe ben isnt so bad after all". trust your guts. he will fail 100% "like a said earlier "DAREDEVIL, GIGLI" i mean come on. at least Bale was shown as a dark psycho in his early movies. he got that dark aura.
1. WhiteBoner
  August 27, 2013
  WB is thrilled at the hype and discussion about Affleck. It is free advertising. Studios (and other businesses) contract viral marketing people to stimulate controversy. If there were no "haters", the studio would literally pay people to hate (and very probably did, in this case). Common business practice.
  1. Makavellie
    August 27, 2013
    you got that right, i know that they are smiling right know while everybody is making a big case, be this coint have to sides, this could actually lead to the part that the hype (hate) will freeze for 2 years while trailers and pictures from set etc. comes out and at the time when the reales is a fact. the reminding of all hate will stop people from paying to se this movie. the companies in hollywood know exactly what i mean. its a big risk and this have happened so many times, take green lantern for an exampel, the list is long nephew.
lethargicj
August 27, 2013
Who exactly is trying to geek cred here? Kevin Smith is relaying the story. Ben Affleck didn't say a word of this to anybody.
And, yeah, actually Bale WAS a fan. He said he became a fan after reading Morrison's Arkham Asylum and started read a lot of the graphic novels. That led to him having his agent approach WB about trying to get the part. He was already vying for the part years before Nolan ever came on-board.
So, yeah, that's part of why Bale was such a great choice. He liked and respected the character and wanted to see it done right. That's one the reasons why Affleck is a great choice as well.
1. WhiteBoner
  August 27, 2013
  Kevin Smith is anointing Ben Affleck with geek cred with this probably apocryphal tale.
  Reading one comic book gives you "geek cred"? That's easy. BTW, kinda creepy that you log Christian Bale's reading list. Anyway, If being a fan were relevant criteria, then Kevin Smith would be cast, and Christian Bale wouldn't have been, because of his paltry one comic collection of one comic. So, clearly, it's not relevant.
  It is acting. They're pretending to be people who don't exist, on sets made of cardboard, with xenon lights for the sun, and potato shards for snowflakes. Do you grasp that? "Yes!" you claim. Good. Then you should grasp that an actor's "fandom" of a character is irrelevant. Again, by this standard, no actor could ever play a serial killer unless they were actually a fan of serial killers.
  1. lethargicj
    August 27, 2013
    You anti-Affleck guys wouldn't be so amazingly annoying if the logic behind your arguments weren't so ridiculously retarded.
    1. WhiteBoner
      August 27, 2013
      You bark declarations. My old girlfriend did that.
      Your implied point was that an actor should be a "fan" of his character. So by your logic, Anthony Hopkins must be a fan of cannibalism to play Hannibal Lecter. (And you also wanted people to know that you keep track of what Christian Bale is reading at night. Heh.)
      You also concoct straw man enemies. I am indifferent about Affleck's casting. But you fantasize that you're standing up for Ben Affleck's honor, and you must cast me as a villain in your weird fantasy, and so you go right ahead and keep fantasizing. (But the stalking Christian Bale thing has got to go.)
    2. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      I did not imply that an actor SHOULD be a fan in any way, shape or form. I simply said it's ONE of many things. It's a nice bonus to have on top of everything else. It makes me happy to know that somebody playing the character actually cares about getting it right and giving the fans something that they'll enjoy instead of just taking a job for a paycheck
      For most of my life the people who played superheroes had no idea who it was they were playing and didn't care at all about doing the role justice. We were stuck with crap like Stallone as Judge Dredd or Dolph Lundgren as The Punisher. Superhero movies were nothing but B-level action movies to grab a quick buck out of the pockets of desperate fans.
      Today we are lucky to live in a world where superhero movies are written, directed and starring people who grew up as fans of the characters, who actually care and understand that these characters and their stories matter to people. The only reason the Dark Knight trilogy exists is because Christopher Nolan grew up reading Batman comics and loved the character. He had a passion for making these movies because he wanted to show people that Batman had more to offer than what any of the previous movies showed. Nolan would still be a great director with or without being a Batman fan, but would the movies have been as good if he did not have such passion for the project? I doubt it. Cause then it just would've been a job like it was for Tim Burton or Joel Schumacher.
      As far as all your moronic stalking Christian Bale non-sense. I'm sorry that I actually watched the making of documentaries on the DVDs and heard the story of how Bale sought the role out. Please forgive me. I didn't know being informed made me a stalker. I'll try to be a uninformed imbecile like you more often so you won't be so bothered.

Cash

August 27, 2013

If true, this actually gives me some hope. Also, if I ever get as rich as Affleck, I'm building one of these as well. And I'll complete mine with an actual cave and a bat-pole with my name on it.

Emma Bowen

August 27, 2013

I'm with you, I'm giving him a chance, like everyone should, now its just a bandwagon to be hating him

The God Damned Batman

August 27, 2013

Ben Affleck Addresses all the Haters...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

lethargicj

August 27, 2013

I'm starting to hate Affleck too. Every time I sit down to play Guild Wars 2 there's another Affleck story and I end up fighting real trolls for an hour instead of fake ones.

Michael John Petty

August 27, 2013

If he doesn't deserve to play Batman NOW...

natman2939
August 27, 2013
It makes me respect him more to know he loves Batman... but it doesn't suddenly make him a great actor. I'm sure there are some really nice rich kids who have their own batcaves too, doesn't mean they should be cast
1. Michael John Petty
  August 27, 2013
  That is true, however I did already think he was a good actor. Argo and The Town for example, and I actually really like the Daredevil Director's Cut...

lethargicj

August 27, 2013

Love this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

natman2939
August 27, 2013
and... that's just the video version of a discussion you and I have already had. If I wasn't lazy, I'd just throw together some clips, put some texts on top of them, and give you a great reply
but instead of just copy/pasting my own words, I'll copy/paste the words of someone who got a top rated comment on IGN: Here's the difference between Heath Ledger and Ben Affleck:Heath Ledger was only 28 and while a capable actor his filmography was small and the films he was known best for were incredibly varied ranging from Academy Award contender Brokeback Mountain to comedies like Knight's Tale or 10 Things I Hate About You or films that weren't entirely popular like The Brother's Grimm. Ledger was also following on from the likes of Jack Nicholson, who at the time he portrayed the Joker was a very well established actor with an impressive filmography. Heath Ledger's dedication and commitment to role and putting in a great character performance ultimately lead to one of the best performances of the last decade.
Now here's Ben Affleck. I praise his directorial work, but as an actor Affleck just isn't impressive at all and compared to 28yr old Heath Ledger, Affleck is 41 with a very extensive filmography and a lot more performances and experiences to draw from in judging his capability as an actor and potential Batman. His attempt at Daredevil is what everyone will compare his Batman to and obviously that doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. Other performances in the like of Pearl Harbor, Armageddon, Gigli, Jersey Girl and Paycheck. While he has the odd good film, it's not until recent years where I can honestly say that Affleck is rather good as an actor, but even then he's incredibly offputting because films like Argo and The Town are great, but I'd go so far as to say he is the weakest parts of those films. Why?
Because he's the same guy in every film.
Ben Affleck quite simply isn't effective as a character actor. It doesn't matter what the movie is or what character he's playing, he always comes across as Ben Affleck. Doesn't matter what his character name is, he's Ben Affleck. With Heath Ledger you think to yourself Heath Ledger IS Joker or you'd think Henry Cavill IS Superman. But when you put Affleck in a movie it just feels like Ben Affleck AS "Insert Character Name Here" and that's my biggest fear and concern with this casting. I want to be able to say "This Man" IS Batman, not Ben Affleck AS Batman. And Affleck, while a great director, is an overall weak character actor.
Ben Affleck might play the character, but I just don't feel he's capable enough to become the character.
Michael Keaton was Batman.
Val Kilmer was Batman (his movie was simply a huge disappointment)
Christian Bale was Batman.
George Clooney was George Clooney playing Batman (or trying to anyway)
and now my fear is that we're going to end up with:
Ben Affleck as Ben Affleck playing Batman
when what we, as fans, truly deserve isn't some who can play the part, but someone who can become the part.
Fingers crossed that Affleck can prove me wrong, but his track record just doesn't inspire confidence in his ability to become a character. I wanna believe that I am watching Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent. Not Clark Kent and Ben Affleck.
1. lethargicj
  August 27, 2013
  Ooooh. A top rated comment on IGN. That's like winning an award for being the smartest kid in special ed.
  I was here for The Heath Ledger Wars. I remember what it was like. And it was exactly like this. It's very easy to come here after the fact and blow smoke up Heath Ledger's pre-Joker work. But the people who were complaining back then were just as close minded and hard headed as the people arguing against Affleck are now. Nobody wanted to hear anything about how good Ledger was in recent work because they had seen his earlier work and already dismissed him. You could sit there and say, but he was great in Brokeback Mountain and somebody else would go YEAH...BUT KNIGHT'S TALE WAS STOOPID!!!
  I would honestly say Affleck and Ledger's careers are almost completely identical to me.
  They both started in indies and crappy TV shows. Then they hit big with one or two really good movies. Then they both got sucked into the typical leading man hunk crap, making crappy rom-coms and terrible action movies. Then they both stepped away from the limelight and came back as much serious actors picking better projects. So look on the bright side, maybe Affleck will chow down some sleeping pills and die and you guys will finally be happy.
  1. natman2939
    August 27, 2013
    it'd be really nice if you have the courtesy to read the entire post before you respond to it because I really don't feel that you did. Otherwise you just blatantly ignored some major points that were already addressed in your most recent reply
    1. lethargicj
      August 27, 2013
      I did read it all unfortunately. What you think I ignored I have no idea.
      But just imagine that I disagreed with every single word of it and that should just about cover it because I do.
    2. natman2939
      August 28, 2013
      I said It seems like you didn't read it because it covers the differences between Heath and Ben and how incredibly different their careers are and then in your reply you turn around and go right back to the typical "this is just like heath" stuff and even go as far as to say their careers were similar.
      If you paid attention to the post you were replying to, you'd know that's not true.
      Heath didn't have 37+ films under his belt. Heath wasn't 41 years old. Ben wasn't typecast as a heartthrob. Ben has had the advantage of playing a wide range of roles throughout his career from CIA guy to jersey dad to daredevil to criminal to ww2 soldier and a whole bunch more. Heath wasn't offered diverse roles until right before he played the Joker. In other words, Ben has had a chance to prove himself, Heath didn't.
      PS: You never replied to my last post in that other thread about Pacino. I'd love to hear you explain to me how all those performances were so different. Otherwise you can just admit you didn't understand what "playing himself" meant and I won't think any less of you for it.
    3. lethargicj
      August 28, 2013
      "I said It seems like you didn't read it because it covers the differences between Heath and Ben and how incredibly different their careers are and then in your reply you turn around and go right back to the typical "this is just like heath" stuff and even go as far as to say their careers were similar."
      Yes, exactly. I disagree that their careers are incredibly different. That doesn't mean I didn't read it. That means I don't agree with it. Ok, sure, Affleck is older and isn't dead so he made more movies. You got me there.
      Do I really have to explain the different between facts and opinions?
      I. Do. Not. Share. Your. Opinion. On. This. At. All.
      Just because you believe it does not make it true. I disagree with it 100% which I thought was pretty obvious in my first post when I plainly said I think their careers were pretty identical to me.
      I think Ledger is great. I think Affleck is great. I will watch any movie either one of those guys are in.
      "You never replied to my last post in that other thread about Pacino. I'd love to hear you explain to me how all those performances were so different. Otherwise you can just admit you didn't understand what "playing himself" meant and I won't think any less of you for it."
      Oh, that was you? HAHAHA Man, and here I am actually wasting time talking to you again? At least now I know there's not TWO people here this annoying. LOLOLOL Al Pacino plays himself in every movie!! HAHAHAHA Now I remember your name. I won't bother you again.
    4. natman2939
      August 28, 2013
      Can't you give a real answer? Do you think I'm bashing Pacino? The fact that he acts the same is very likely because that's what the studios and the audience want to see. It's part of being a big star. People don't pay to see Tom Cruise disappear into a role so far that they can't tell it's him anymore, they want to see Tom Cruise.
      Now I've said there are exceptions (like scarface) but the vast majority of his older roles he sounds the same and keeps the same rhythm in his voice. He doesn't really change anything. Now are you going to be a troll and just laugh or do you know enough about acting to educate me on why I'm wrong? (if that's the case)
2. David
  August 27, 2013
  You couldn't have said it better. As for the clown who responded below you...Seriously...Heath Ledger has a lot more range in characters...unlike Ben Affleck...who is Ben Affleck playing...drum role please...Ben Affleck.
Unique Jenique
August 28, 2013
OMFG! I am still laughing! That was great!
jULS
August 28, 2013
STUPID...

TRINI REAPER

August 27, 2013

3 words.. Fuck Kevin Smith.

Antrozous

August 27, 2013

So... he had a panic room in his house( like many famous hollywood people have) and all of a sudden it was a Batcave? Right...

lethargicj
August 27, 2013
The desperation of you people to turn everything into an attack is hilarious.
1. Antrozous
  August 27, 2013
  The only desperate guy I see when I open Batman-News is actually you, you are everywhere dude, like Mr. Freeze would say, you need to chill...
  1. lethargicj
    August 27, 2013
    I wish I could too. Unfortunately I don't always have the ability to shut up when somebody says something really stupid.
    1. Antrozous
      August 28, 2013
      Granted, that guy who was banned was being stupid and crossing the line but I see you battling anyone who dislikes Affleck as if your life depends on it. I get it, you accepted the idea, but it may take a while for others, some people are just too passionate about the character not to express their thoughts.
    2. lethargicj
      August 28, 2013
      I'd say the same thing to all of you. We get it. You don't like the idea. How many times do we have to hear about it? Ben Affleck sucks. Your message is loud and clear.
      Just arguing over whether he's good or not, whatever, nobody is going to change anybody mind's opinion on that stuff. Yes, I don't mind debating that with somebody who is willing to argue in a good clean way. But I have tried not to attack anybody who is just saying they don't like the choice.
      It's the people taking their hatred of this guy to a ridiculous level that I attack. (But yes, some people get caught in the crossfire, stuff gets jumbled together eventually. haha) People are ripping EVERYTHING about this guy apart from head to toe. I've ever seen people here attack him for his charity work. It's so far beyond saying I don't think he's a good actor, or I think he's wrong for the role, it's like a personal deep burning hatred as if this guy was a child molester.
      This story here was just supposed to be a fun little story to throw on the site and refer people to a good listen where somebody who likes Affleck and somebody who hates Affleck put on a good, yet funny, debate. It wasn't about is Ben Affleck good or bad. It was just a funny story Kevin Smith told on his podcast about the guy because it involved a Batman joke, it was simply a funny interaction between two friends. Yet people can't just go oh, that's cool or meh. Instead it gets turned into another reason to hate the guy's guts. That is what I find ridiculous.
    3. William L
      August 28, 2013
      Hey Lethargic - chill the fuck out, bro. Go outside for a while... take a breath, meet real people and stop talking for a minute. I agree with Antro - damn, you're everywhere... don't you ever get tired? LOL
    4. lethargicj
      August 28, 2013
      No. I'm Batman.

Birdboy89

August 27, 2013

Man if i had ben's money i would build a batcave too..... i think he is gonna do great if you seen the trailer for arkham origins he could def pull the unshaved look off

David

August 27, 2013

But of course Kevin Smith will praise Ben Affleck...that is what a friend will do...stand up for his shitty acting career and praise him for having a "Batcave" panic room. I have been a huge Batman fan every since I was a child...doesn't mean I'm qualified to play Batman. Plain and simple....WB has made another decision that doesn't make sense. I'm tired of hearing the arguments and comparisons to Micheal Keaton, Heath Ledger and whom every was cast in a Batman movie and worked out in the long run. Ben Affleck is a one dimensional actor. He as had a horrible acting career through out the years. Not until recently has he done a few movies that have been great. Keep in mind he has directed those movies. Maybe WB should have considered having him direct another Batman film.

Which brings another point...isn't it a little early to recast another Batman??? I am like everyone else...I want to see Batman and Superman on the big screen...but it has only been a little over a year The Dark Knight Rises was on the big screen. WB...why not focus on other characters from the DC universe??? The fans have been screaming for a Wonder Woman, Flash and another Green Lantern movie. Why the rush??? Oh...because Marvel has the one up know...hate to break it...but Iron Man 3 was a huge disappointment. I want to believe the other Marvel movies will be better...but The Mouse owns Marvel...and The Mouse will run everything in the ground. But there is hope that a few of the Marvel films might be awesome.

In the end...we can all post and rant how Ben Affleck is going to be a horrible Batman...and there is a strong possibility of truth. George Clooney is a great example...he plays the same parts in all of his movies...exception is O' Brother Were Art Thou. At least Clooney had the respect to apologize for ruining the Batman franchise...when in the end it was Joel Schumacher. Another great decision from the studio executives WB...bring on a director who had the chops to make a great Batman movie...what did he do...make it a laughing stock for the world. Times have changed...as the people who make those choices of who is going to be cast for what role. Maybe Affleck has the potential and abilities to play Batman. Based upon his long history of bad movies...I think we might all be disappointed in the end.

lethargicj
August 28, 2013
I don't get the "it's too soon for another Batman" argument.
For me, as a diehard Batman fan, if they put out a Batman movie every Friday I'd say "hey, you guys realize that there are 6 more days in a week, right?"
But seriously, this movie comes out in 2015. It's not coming out next month. It will have been 3 years. By time people really sit around for 3 years, I don't think it's really going to be oh man, already?? 3 years is a long ass time.
1. David
  August 28, 2013
  Your the clown that I responded to about Ben Affleck being playing Ben Afffleck. Also your comment about Ben Affleck taken sleeping pills and dying. Really??? Do us all a favor and go f**k yourself. Assholes like you have nothing better to do than sit in your mom's house and troll the internet looking for arguments...simply because you have no life and zero friends.
  1. lethargicj
    August 28, 2013
    I was just trying to discuss the timeframe thing and your response is to tell me to go "f**k" myself? And I'm the one looking for arguments? Good one.
    1. David
      August 28, 2013
      Yeah asshole...all the other dumb ass responses you have posted not just mine. So I will say it loud...GO F**K YOUR SELF!!!
    2. lethargicj
      August 28, 2013
      No.

Methulan.M

August 28, 2013

And this is what it's gonna be like .... Back and forth on Bat-fleck.... It's gonna be a long long 2.5 years

lethargicj

August 28, 2013

Can we all just agree that that Miley Cyrus thing was terrible?

stypenin

August 28, 2013

In Ben Affleck I trust but in Zack Snyder I don¨t

Unique Jenique

August 28, 2013

"No one cared who Ben Affleck was til he put on the cape."

The Many-Faced GOD
August 29, 2013
hahahahaha

Fredrik Andrés Jansson

August 28, 2013

Ralph Garman comes off as being a real DICK!!

Juls

August 28, 2013

Fuck him!!! (affleck) It's a fuckin girly man, no Batman-like at all....I respect Kevin Smith very much, and I know Affleck is his friend but He is the worst Batman ever!!!!!!!!!! I'm so dissapointed... I will not watch the movie only because of him.

Ryan
August 29, 2013
"He is the worst batman ever" Havent even seen him in the role yet. "I will not watch the movie only because of him." DOESNT ANYBODY CARE ABOUT SUPERMAN?

diogo02000

August 28, 2013

Seriously people, stop act like a naughty child just because they didnt cast what you expected to be Batman. This just look ridiculous.

diogo02000

August 28, 2013

I said this on Comic Book Therapy, and i share with you now http://img822.imageshack.us...

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Kevin Smith says Ben Affleck loves Batman, built a Batcave in his house (audio)

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